United Technologies Corporation

Carrier Corporation

Richard R Grzybowski

Wayde R Schmidt

Michael Winter

Gerald Meltz

David A Condit

Timothy N Obee

Paul Neil Marshall

Sunita Satyapal

Willard H Sutton

Antonio Rinaldi

Christopher M Pater

Air cleansing apparatus includes an electrostatic precipitator in which the collector plates are made of, for instance, reticulated chemical vapor deposited silicon carbide, or reticulated silicon carbide ceramic coated with titanium nitride, zirconium diboride, or chemical vapor deposited silicon carbide. Microorganisms entrained on the collector plates are thermally degraded or vaporized by microwave radiation directed against the plates during a sterilization period which follows a collection period.

Integrated electrostatic collection and microwave sterilization for

A machine having protruding elements 26 and an adjacent abradable seal 18, which move relative to each other, an air-path clearance G between the seal 18 and the elements 26 and an element distance D2 between the sensor 10 and the elements 26, is provided with a sensor 10 which is recessed within the seal 18 by a recess distance D. A clearance/thickness circuit 14 provides transmitted and reflected microwave signals 30,32 along a coaxial cable 12 having a characteristic impedance, to the sensor 10, which has an impedance substantially matched to the characteristic impedance of the cable 12. The sensor 10 provides the reflected signal 32 which is indicative of the recess distance D when the elements 26 are not in front of the sensor 10 and is indicative of the blade distance D2 between the sensor 10 and the elements 26 when the elements 26 are in front of the sensor 10. The circuit 14 receives the reflected signal 32 and provides electrical signals indicative of the recess distance D and/or the air-path clearance G. Alternatively, the circuit 14 may provide only the recess distance D. The sensor 10 provides such measurements whether or not the machine is operating.

Microwave recess distance and air-path clearance sensor

A capacitance pressure measuring circuit includes a pressure sensitive capacitive transducer and a reference capacitor that are configured in a differential mode to alternately charge and discharge in response to square wave signals. An integrator receives signals from the capacitors and outputs two voltage levels. These voltage levels are provided to a synchronous clock driven selectable sample and hold stage and then to a differential amplifier. The amplifier provides a linear voltage signal proportional to the change in the difference in capacitance of the transducer divided by the capacitance of the integrator.

Capacitive circuit for measuring a parameter having a linear output

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Plantsville, CT, United States of America

Richard R Grzybowski